Thursday, September 27, 2012

From: A pregnant women with a craving is not to be contended with and I don't like taking no for an answer, particularly with regards to my stomach. So when I called and they'd closed 10 wee minutes before, I decided I was GOING to have cajun chicken pasta, if I had to cook it myself. So I searched for an imitation recipe and found this one. It was even better than the Chili's version!

Just click here for Squidoo.com's version of how to do it. I did it almost the same, except that I added 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese to the sauce before adding the pasta. I also substituted lime juice for the lemon pepper.

From: One evening we were having friends over, and we were missing a key ingredient for a salad we wanted to make, so my husband improvised and threw this one together, inspired by his favorite Italian cook, Lydia. It was so good that it wasn't until I was scraping the last bit out of the bowl and scarfing it down, that it occurred to me to take a picture and post it here.

From: When MckMama posted this, I knew I had to try it!! Her version has much more exotic (and healthy) ingredients than mine. You can see it here. The great thing about this dessert is how simple it is and how much you can change it, depending on what's in your cupboard. Yummmm!!!

Spoon out some peanut butter with the plastic spoon. Then press craisins, peanuts, and sliced almonds (or whatever you desire) into the peanut butter. Make several of these and set aside. But hurry! The peanut butter melts and gets soft on a hot day.

Put the chocolate chips and a tablespoon of oil into a bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds and then stir. Repeat half a dozen times until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Dip the spoons with peanut butter on them into the chocolate so it's completely covered. Sprinkle with shredded coconut (or whatever you desire). Place on wax paper or aluminum foil and put it in the freezer for about an hour until it becomes completely hard. Enjoy!

Side notes: The more oil you add, the thinner the chocolate will be, which is helpful in coating without destroying the spooned creation. You can experiment with how much oil to add.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

From: One evening, we had planned to make shishkabobs, and realized we didn't have any propane for the grill, so we improvised and came up with this! It was GREAT and my 3 year old was just as excited about it as we were!

Add oil to a wok or skillet, and dust the chicken with salt, oil, basil, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion flakes, pepper. Add 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. When the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, remove from skillet.

Add to the same skillet the red pepper and red onion. Dust with salt, and add 1 Tbsp butter, and 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Cover so liquid releases the brown chicken residue from the bottom of the skillet. Allow the liquid to bubble up and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Add pineapple chunks to the skillet and continue simmering for another minute.

I'm no chef. I've been known to ruin soup. You know... the kind that comes in a can and all you have to add is water and heat. Yeah, that kind. ...I HAVE improved in the last few years.

If there are too many ingredients, I probably won't try it. I cut lots of corners and I rarely follow the recipe to the T - even if it's my own.

I'm usually cooking with at least one boy and a dog underfoot, and a few years ago, I was looking for a way to have my recipes accessible by computer with pictures and an easy archive. I have enough things to chase after without adding a mis-placed paper recipe covered in tomato sauce to the list. This seemed like the easiest way to do it.